


Claudia's Latkes

by Akabit



Series: Stiles Resturant [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Food, Gen, Hanukkah, Jewish Character, Jewish Identity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:02:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2795666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akabit/pseuds/Akabit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and his father lit candles every year on the first night of Hanukkah. The Sheriff had mumbled his way through the hebrew prayer until Stiles was old enough to take over the duty. It was a little strange that one of the least religiously significant Jewish holidays had become the only one celebrated in the Stilinski home, but Stiles thought his mother would have approved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Claudia's Latkes

**Author's Note:**

> This is an outtake to the main story. In the initial draft of the Sunday chapter of "You can get anything you want", Claudia was Jewish and the chapter discussed Stiles connection to Judaism through food but not faith. I took it out because I decided it complicated the plot. I have reworked that chapter opener into this drabble. This is the Judaism of my childhood, but it cannot be extrapolated beyond that. There are as many Jewish experiences as there are Jewish people.
> 
> The latkeh recipe is adapted from my mother's temple sisterhood cookbook. I highly recommend trying it.

  * _6 medium potatoes_
  * _1 large onion_
  * _2 eggs_
  * _1 ½ teaspoon salt_
  * _dash of pepper_
  * _4 Tablespoons matzoh meal_



_Peel 3 potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel onion and chunk. Place eggs, salt, pepper, and matzoh meal into the food processor and process until smooth. Slowly add cut potatoes and onions. Process until the consistency of runny oatmeal. Peel and grate the rest of the potatoes into the processed mixture._

_Fry in hot oil by the spoonful until crisp on both sides. Drain on a paper towels and then serve immediately._

_(Adapted from the Herzl-Ner Tamid Sisterhood cookbook)_

************  
Stiles and his father lit candles every year on the first night of Hanukkah. The Sheriff had mumbled his way through the hebrew prayer until Stiles was old enough to take over the duty. It was a little strange that one of the least religiously significant Jewish holidays had become the only one celebrated in the Stilinski home, but Stiles thought his mother would have approved. After all, she had not been a religious woman. She mostly used Jewish holidays as an excuse to pull out her Mom's well loved temple sisterhood cookbook. Thus Stiles had never set foot in temple, but he could make completely authentic mandelbrot, blintzes, and kneydl.

Hanukkah had been Claudia’s favorite holiday. Honestly, how could any foodie not love the holiday devoted to frying things? When Stiles got home from school, Claudia would heat a huge pot of oil to boiling over the stove. For afternoon snack, Stiles and his mother would experiment the try to find the best fillings for sufganiyot. And for dinner, they would make a gigantic stack of latkes with homemade applesauce.

During her last winter, when his mother could not leave the hospital, Stiles brought their menorah to her room and they said the prayers over candles they weren't allowed to light. It felt hollow without the food.

"Do you believe in God?" Stiles had asked. Several grown ups had tried to talk to him about the fact that his mother would be going to join God. He was certain this was not something she wanted.

"No," she replied. "But that doesn't make me any less Jewish. I respect my heritage too much to pretend to have faith." It took Stiles a long time to understand what she meant. She had spent every Yom Kippur doing the most unpleasant housework in private penance. When he opened his restaurant Stiles always cleaned the deep fryers to commemorate the day. He wasn't even sure why he did it.

Claudia enjoyed having large dinner parties for secular holidays like Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, but she celebrated Jewish holidays at home with her son and husband. She died before Stiles was old enough to ask her why. Perhaps it was because his grandmother had narrowly escaped to the United States from Germany during World War II. More likely they simply didn’t know any other Jewish families. In any case, it was the only food Claudia never shared.

Stiles didn’t share it either. When he started serving kosher fish and challah on Friday nights, his father asked if he was going to use his mother recipes to introduce a kosher menu. Stiles never did. He didn't want to serve three versions of matzo ball soup so that everyone could eat it.

Stiles made his father and Scott promise not to tell the Rabbi that he was Jewish. Jews only try to convert themselves and Stiles had no interest in expanding his faith. Most people probably thought he refused to play Christmas music at the restaurant so no one would feel excluded. His mother had never allowed Christmas decorations in her house and Stiles never allowed them in the restaurant.

Some people jokingly called Stiles a grinch, but he actually loved Christmas. The Stilinskis always celebrated the holiday at the Sheriff's parents house. Starting when he was very young, Stiles would stay overnight the first Friday of Christmas break to bake cookies and decorate the tree. His Grandmother bought him an ornament every year so he would have something from his childhood to put on the tree if he married a 'nice Christian girl'. On Christmas morning, they would eat a giant brunch and open presents from Santa. When his Grandparents died, the year after he opened the restaurant, Stiles started adding his ornaments to Scott and Alison's tree. They may not have any religious significance but they held many happy memories.

Derek was the only person Stiles ever invited to celebrate Hanukkah with him and his father. He didn't invite him the first year. Everything was too chaotic with the trial and Laura's baby due any day. Besides they had only been dating a couple months, but when the holiday roll around the next year he wanted to share it.

Derek listened patiently to Stiles slightly garbled explanation of Judaism and his mother before declaring he would be honored to attend.

"Can I bring anything?" Derek offered.

"Could you bring a vegan main dish?" Stiles asked. "I know it's selfish, but I make my mother's recipes every year and they have eggs."

"That doesn't should selfish. It sounds like a nice tradition. I'm sorry I won't get to eat it."

Stiles has to bite his tongue to prevent himself for asking Derek to make an exception once a year. He knew he could guilt Derek into doing so, but taking advantage dead mommy issues would be completely unfair.

That year Stiles lit the candies with his father and partner standing at his side. Afterward, they all sat down to dinner. Derek and the Sheriff chatted comfortably about politics and current events. It was as close to perfect as it could be without Claudia. Stiles always spent Hanukkah with his family and now that included Derek. Perhaps it was time to start talking about making that official.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Hanukkah. This work is unbetaed. All mistakes are mine.


End file.
